


Silence

by sempre_balla



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I guess? I swear I have no idea how to classify this, M/M, also maybe don't read if you haven't reached the tower of guidace in rd, me looking at my writing: what the fuck are you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-08-16
Packaged: 2019-06-28 06:25:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15701670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sempre_balla/pseuds/sempre_balla
Summary: Back in Gallia, when Soren hadn’t been able to speak, he had been all alone. If Ike lets him believe that he’s alone as well now, he isn’t sure how his psyche will hold up, or if he’ll ever be able to convince him otherwise.Soren is hit with a Silence spell, and Ike refuses to let him relive his trauma.





	Silence

**Author's Note:**

> every time hetzel casted silence during my rd playthrough soren dodged it because he's a perfect boy, but I've been thinking for a good while how awful it'd feel for him to not be able to speak, even if it's for a little while
> 
> written from ike's pov because 1. I don't have any experience with ptsd so I don't feel qualified to express how it feels from an inner perspective 2. he's just easier to write tbh

Ike has always preferred to stay as close to Soren as possible when they’re fighting. Not only do they make a terrific team, but he feels more at ease if he can keep an eye on his friend and take any of the blows directed at him.

It’s not like Soren is frail or weak. It’s quite the opposite, really; the sage makes up for the lack of a powerful physique by being startlingly swift and evasive. It’s just that old habits die hard, and when the first war they were unfortunately dragged into had started, he had had to watch Soren’s back more than he has to now. Always keeping an eye on Soren and consistently looking back to check on Mist is just what Ike does.

But Mist isn’t on the team that’s been brought into the Tower of Guidance, and Soren has adopted the role of a healer alongside Micaiah and Elincia, so he isn’t directly in the frontlines like he usually is.

That’s why, when Hetzel uses a Silence staff on them, Ike doesn’t think twice about it. He manages to dodge the spell without any issues, so he can thankfully continue to shout out commands. It’s when he calls for Soren to ask for healing and no answer comes when he realizes that something is wrong. He thrusts Ragnell into the neck of an enemy to give himself the leverage to turn around and look for his staff officer.

He finds him a few steps away, hunched over and clutching his staff close to his chest, a distressed look on his face. Their eyes meet, and Soren opens and closes his mouth before gritting his teeth and shaking his head. It takes Ike a moment to realize exactly what it means for Soren to be hit with a Silence spell.

_Upon reaching civilization, I came to another grim realization... I couldn't speak. Not a word._

Ike’s eyes widen, he curses under his breath and looks around him.

“Titania, take it from here!” He says when he spots his deputy commander. She nods wordlessly—probably because she’s been hit by the spell as well—and takes the spot where Ike had been, blocking the path for any enemies to go through.

He takes off immediately, dropping Ragnell unceremoniously to grip Soren by the shoulders when he gets to him. The sage looks up, his breath heaving, panicked tears clinging to the corners of his eyes.

“Soren, this isn’t Gallia,” Ike says, shaking the other’s body to make him focus on reality. “This isn’t the same as back then. Stay with me.” He looks around again, spotting Micaiah in the distance. Sothe is shielding her with his body, and she has her staff lowered. She must’ve been hit too. Ike frowns and looks back at Soren. “You’ll have to wait this out, but you’ll be fine. This isn’t like back then, you’ll be able to talk again really soon.”

All Soren does is lean into Ike’s chest and cling to his clothes, trembling, and the commander curses himself for his lack of foresight. He should have expected one of the senators to have a Silence staff, he should have kept Soren nearby, he should have sent Elincia or Tibarn to quickly take Hetzel out, he should have done so many things differently. Three years ago, when Soren finally opened up to him, he had promised himself he’d never let his best friend relive his trauma. And yet, here they are.

“I’m sorry,” he mutters, his voice breaking, “I’m sorry I’ve failed you.” Soren shakes his head, burrows closer to Ike’s chest. Ike tightens his grip on Soren’s shoulders. “I’m staying with you until the spell washes over, alright?” Soren shakes his head again. “Yes, I am. The strongest people in all of Tellius are here. They can handle it.”  

Soren lets out a shaky breath, but holds onto Ike despite his silent protests. Ike knows it’s dangerous for him to leave his small army to fight alone, but he can’t leave Soren’s side, not now. When Soren told him about his days as a mute back in Begnion, his tone had been detached, like he was giving a battle report instead of talking about a highly traumatic time in his life. But Ike isn’t as stupid as people might believe he is, and he could tell immediately just how much the events Soren lived in Gallia still weighed on him. Soren has grown up into a man that uses words as both a weapon and a shield, and Ike can’t help but wanting— _needing_ to protect him when those are stripped away from him.

He doesn’t care if Shinon hurls insults at him for this later, he doesn’t care if Titania scolds him and Yune throws a fit. Back in Gallia, when Soren hadn’t been able to speak, he had been all alone. If Ike lets him believe that he’s alone as well now, he isn’t sure how his psyche will hold up, or if he’ll ever be able to convince him otherwise.

“Lord Ike!” Someone calls, making him snap out of his reverie and look towards the person approaching him.

“Elincia,” he acknowledges when the queen lands next to him. “Do you have a restore staff?”

“I’m afraid not,” she says, shaking her head. “I’m going to see if Lady Micaiah can— oh.”

Soren is still clutching onto Ike’s clothes with one hand, but with the other he holds out a restore staff. Elincia reaches down to take it, and effortlessly heals Soren’s ailment.

“Go handle Micaiah,” Ike orders. “Sanaki too, if she’s been hit.”

“Alright,” Elincia says, grabbing the reins of her pegasus. “Be safe.”

“You too,” Ike says before turning back to Soren. “You alright?”

“Thanks to you,” Soren whispers, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

“Elincia’s the one who—”

“No, it’s thanks to you,” Soren insists. When he looks up he still seems a bit shaken, but collected enough that he could fool anyone who wasn’t Ike or a heron. He pulls out a Blizzard tome from his robes and straightens his spine. “This rotten senator is going to experience hell.”

The sage has regained that prideful poise that is almost befitting of a royal, and Ike grins. Soren really is terrifying.

“I’ll be right beside you,” he says, and he means every word.

**Author's Note:**

> I keep writing tiny tellius things that I end up liking quite a lot so I post them but I really wanna put some proper effort into one of these someday soon. I hope you still enjoy them if you read them though!! and sorry for my shitty titles I am so uninspired


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